


Precious, Finite, Resources: A Ruler’s Recovery

by AYangThang



Series: Precious, Finite, Resources [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26479195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AYangThang/pseuds/AYangThang
Summary: After the events of "Precious, Finite, Resources" Weiss needs to recover from all the things that pain her. Blake aims to help her do just that with a trip to the Belladonna springs, and a few lessons to share with her spouse.(This is a companion piece to “Precious, finite, Resources” so if you haven’t read that story, you should do that first. This takes places after the events of that. Just like that story, this is a three chapter fanfiction. It isn’t nearly as long, but that’s because this is merely a “bridging story” for the next one that will be coming up to tie the two much longer fiction together in a better way.)
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee, Ghira Belladonna/Kali Belladonna
Series: Precious, Finite, Resources [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010793
Comments: 13
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

The first wave of famine hit hard during the rising of the new Atlesian Principality. Blake could count the days as they drifted by. Closing the bedroom door as quietly as possible, Blake made her way down the hall. The bowl of water and washrag floating within had long since cooled. She dumped the sullied water out the nearest open window and onto the flowerbed below. Her stomach growled as she saw the dandelions lingering not too far away., She was mindful of their location so that she could pluck them later. They would make a fitting salad along with the other leafy greens that had been foraged from the wilderness.

When she promised to look over her wife, she hadn’t known the gravity of the woman’s illness. Weiss had skipped so many meals for the sake of others, a sign of everything she had given up simply for the sake of Menagerie. The day that Weiss had fallen into the sands, willing the waters to take her, Blake had merely thought that she was tired. Merely in need of a rest and someone to speak to.

Yet, a good rest was not enough, and Weiss become more ill as days went by. Her monthly cycle had stopped, her bleeding rags unused for months. The doctors claimed that it was malnutrition, that if she were to rest and build up her strength, she would recover. It was a story that Blake had heard many times. The cure itself was simple. With time and good meals, Weiss would recover. Yet, with food so scarce and most of the island still healing from the scars of war, finding food wasn’t easy.

Blake had never once considered just how long it would take to rebuild her homeland. She knew it would be a long and difficult process, but the trials mounted by the day and her place could not be with her people that labored away rebuilding what was lost. Her attention needed to be upon Weiss, and only Weiss. The Faunus couldn’t risk the woman to grow melancholic once again, not while she was so ill.

She had fully accepted the oversight of the woman she had sworn vows to. A small gesture she should have offered months before. She felt a bit guilty she didn't think to, if she were perfectly honest with herself. With Ruby away culling the Grimm near the volcanos, and the rest of her family residing away in Atlas, Blake had not considered the vast repercussions. Humans were social creatures, not unlike Faunus in that way. The war had painted them as monsters in her mind, but Weiss was not beast.

She was not heartless, nor was she thoughtless to the continual effort it would take to see Menagerie prosperous once more. It was a toll that would weigh heavily on anyone. Surely Weiss would search for warmth and companionship. She just so happened to be in a place that offered her none of those things. She was the daughter of a now dead tyrant. Bloodline might as well have been carved in stone, and the sins of her forbearers were unchangeable.

The newly reclaimed lands were peppered with the aftermath of his destruction. The lands could heal, but the hearts of the Faunus held deeper scars.

“How is she?” Kali, Blake's mother asked, taking the large copper bowl from her daughter’s hands.

It was strange that Kali would ask that question, but she had begun to inquire often. She had never approved of the wedding. To her it seemed like one of pure obligation. Her daughter had sold her soul for the sake of their people. Blake wondered about that. In a way her mother was right. It was an undeniable truth on the surface, but far more complex at the core of the matter.

“The same as last time you asked.” Blake said, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her kimono.

“That does not instill confidence.” Kali replied, her tone docile against the walls that would echo if words were spoken too loudly.

“It doesn’t, but you are the one that asked.” Blake said to her.

“What else am I to do?” Kali questioned, leaving Blake without an easy retort.

With Weiss incredibly ill, the entire population was lacking its foremost guardian. If Weiss were to lose her life now, her elder sister, the queen of Atlas herself would be angry. Her displeasure was not a risk that Blake could take. The union provided safety and security, two thing that would be lost if the Principality fell before it could even rise from the devastated ashes that it had been built upon.

“Have you visited the seedlings?” Blake found herself asking instead. “Have they started to sprout?”

“Of course not…”

“I was worried you’d say that.”

Kali sighed at length as she tucked the bowl under one arm, mindful of the still soaked rag within. “There hasn’t been enough time, and our rations for the next few months have only just arrived.”

“Please tell me there is good news there at least.”

“I have nothing else good to tell you. Nothing more than the fact that they have arrived at all. Truthfully, they are not plentiful, we will need to be careful.”

“If they were, it would have been a godsend.” Blake bit out. She could feel her agitation rising. Even that couldn’t go right. Nothing was panning out like she had planned.

“Blake, you should know that the people are rightfully worried. You have not made an appearance to the public in days.”

“My attention is needed elsewhere. Weiss is in need, and I cannot leave her side.” Blake told her mother. “She isn’t well, not in the mind or the body.”

“She doesn’t even love you, Blake.” Kali said sadly. “I don’t understand how you can continue to go on like this.”

“Dad recovered because of her.” Blake said then, ears flattening upon her head at the complicated feelings that she had no name for. “We have our lands back because of her.” It wasn’t love or devotion. It was something else. Even without that, Blake could feel the debt that needed to be repaid. “I realize this wasn’t the future you wanted for me, but the alternatives are just too grotesque to think of.”

It was a fair trade. Blake told herself that on her wedding day, same as she mentally chanted it now. Weiss could have asked for the impossible, but instead she had only asked for the things directly in Blake's reach.

“Then don’t dwell on them.” Kali murmured sadly. "They have not come to pass."

“They could have. I am constantly reminded of that by my own nightmares. I could have lost so much, if Weiss had not chosen me to stand at her side." Blake began slowly, trying to soften the insidious realization she had come to recently. "I have no choice, it lingers in the back of my head. Even as it stands, we’re risking everything to make this work. It’s the only hope we have, but we may not come out of this alive.”

Kali stiffened at that. She knew that was true, but to hear Blake say it so plainly left a sour taste in her mouth. “Atlas has sent another two hundred people on boats, and the supplies that came with them cannot even account for half.”

“What would you have Winter do? Should she force our people to freeze to death outside the fortifications in Atlas?” Blake wondered curiously, even she didn’t know if this was the right answer. “It grows colder by the day in the north. There is nothing to sustain our people there, or hers for that matter.” Blake found even that distinction was completely idiotic, because they were now one in the same. "Then again, there is nothing to sustain anyone here, either. Do you think the remaining Faunus of Menagerie would have stood a better chance in the north?"

“Of course not...” Kali said, sighing heavily. "There is no good answer. Either way it is a risk."

“Then what more, should she allow them to linger in the jails?” Blake asked. “Thousands of us were capture the day we lost the war, and those were just the ones that survived. Winter was not to blame for this, no more than Weiss or myself for that matter. Their own supplies are growing thinner while caring for all of the Fauns residing on the boarders. The military has been working around the clock to ensure their safety, but that comes at a price too.”

“Blake that is not the point.”

“But that is the outcome.” Blake said darkly. “Better to die with a life worth fighting for, rather than to rot away slowly with no freedom at all.”

Kali sighed at that. “Someone needs to oversee all of this, if you shall not do it, I suppose I must. How would you like me to handle this?”

“Open our doors, and command every villager to do the same.” Blake told her. “I don’t care if we’re all packed together like sardines, we’re going to get roofs over their heads. As for food, thin down the broths and order ever able bodied woman into the trees and shrubs to gather nuts and berries. Get the men on the boats to fish. Our grain will be cut down, bread doled out one slice per person, per day.”

“There are humans among them, this time.”

“Then the queen has done strictly as I asked. We need to open trade routes, and humans are the best chance we have for successful commerce right now. Frankly, that any humans were willing to reside here at all is a blessing.”

“Only if they can survive another voyage, and right now that might not be possible.”

“We shall make it possible. Men of higher education need to be prioritized.”

“The Faunus will not take kindly to this.”

“I don’t rightly give a damn. These are families of trade, of skill. We need them now no matter their heritage.” Blake shot back. “I have already sent Dad to demand that the potters, weavers, and smithies to work long into the night. Boys and girls have been ordered to aid in the efforts where they can. Children are bleeding their fingers for this cause, and we will not falter now. If we do, we’re all doomed anyway.”

“Blake, you’re exhausted.”

“Aren’t we all?” Blake licked her lips, chapped by the winds and exhaustion. “I have to return to Weiss. You have my orders, please… Just… just follow them.”

\--

Blake hadn’t known Weiss for very long, but the woman had always been very slight in size and stature. Thin limbed, having never drawn a robust sword in her life. She had been drinking honeyed milk, and gruel seasoned with the same to build up her strength. Still, she lay bedridden and prone to the harsh realities of a poor man’s world. Sleep came often, wakefulness sometimes lost to delusion itself as Weiss gazed longingly out the bedside window for Ruby to return.

She waited for weeks on end for a single report and Ruby’s simple friendly smile. The details of those talks were lost to her, her icy blue eyes glazing over. It was up to Blake to take notice of the details in the reports. It fell onto her shoulders to further instruct Ruby on the matter. During Ruby’s last visit which only lasted a few hours, Weiss had even attempted to follow after the huntress. An impossible task considering she couldn’t bear her own weight for any longer than it took to reach the bedside chamber pot.

Ruby was also torn with confliction, she wanted to stay by her friend. However, she had a job to do. A task that dragged her away, back into the depth of the forests where the path was being cut up the mountains. She returned with extra meat and foraged good when she could, but the people arrived by the boats full. The meals were doled out almost as quickly as it came.

The theory of the mission was simple. In practice, it was dangerous and slow going. The volcano harbored dust. If only it could be collected, it could be sold for direly needed currency. If they could send the dust to Atlas, it could be doled out from there. Trades could be made, food and other desperately needed items acquired. An easier time would come.

Blake took residence in the armchair that sat near her desk, a penned letter waited to be sent back to the north. Other notices came, responses from the kingdoms about what they would require in order to open commerce with the island. Just as she was about to plead her case to the reigning rules of the far off lands, another knock came to the door.

“Enter.” She commanded, not willing to stand and greet the door. Tukson slipped in with a tray of food, placing it on a small table near Weiss meant for her needs.

“She still sleeps?” Tukson asked, his voice incredibly soft, knowing Blake heard him clearly regardless.

To respond, she kept her voice equal to his own. Quietly obliging the question that was obvious. “For now. Weiss made a wish to journey to the Belladonna springs, I want you to prepare a cart for travel. We shall exit from the back so she isn’t seen by the people flooding the streets.”

“Is that wise?”

“No.” Blake replied. “The medics advised against it, but the spiritual healers believe it may do some good. It is the first time she asked to leave the bed without trying to follow after Ruby. I’m certain that while it may be tough on the body, an outing might help to heal the mind.”

“Is it worth the toll that travel will take?”

“I don’t know, but I will do anything that might help at this point.” Blake looked over to the bed, and she finalized her decision. “Prepare the cart as I have ordered.”

“As you command.” He said, offering only the smallest bow. “I will see it done. Is there anything else that will be required?”

“Only the supplies for travel and bathing within the spring…” Blake trailed off. Her lips thinned dangerously as her concern clutched at her. “I don’t believe I need to inform you on the confidentiality of this matter.”

“Of course not. Who shall I task to guard you?”

“You shall be our only guard.” In that, Blake would not budge. Her gaze upon him told him this. She trusted him, spoke with him as a friend. That still didn’t change his place in her life, or the obligations he vowed to fulfill. His station in regards to her was not a place to be questioned. “We’re only going to the family springs after all. Hardly a threat to our safety.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Don’t call me that.” Blake muttered darkly. “It’s hardly a fitting title. Be ready in no more than two hours. Turn the stone dial on the door to red before you leave. I won’t tolerate unimportant disturbances.”

He took his leave with another bow, unwilling to test her temper. Blake watched him leave just as silently as he entered. A muted clacking could be heard as a blue gem of welcome was replaced with the red gem indicating solitude. The doors themselves were thick enough that she didn’t hear him leave, but took comfort in the idea that he wouldn’t linger.

Blake woke Weiss gently, brushing the hair out of the woman’s face and offering a small pat to her bony cheek.

“Blake?”

“If you wish to go to the springs, you must eat and clothe yourself.” Blake told her, taking the tray that had been left behind and presenting it to the ailing woman. “We have two hours, you should make use of it.”

“The medics told me that I shouldn’t. They said so once again just this morning.”

“The spiritual healers have suggested otherwise.”

Weiss frowned weakly. “Atlas has some of the finest medics in the world, you would doubt them?”

“Do you think so little of my healers?” Blake asked in return.

“I think you disregard my own.” Weiss said honestly.

“In a way…” Blake admitted, the matter strange even to herself. “Atlas doesn’t think carefully on the soul. They are, as you say, medics. While they may be able to ease the common cold, the mind isn’t a matter of herbs and bandages. The soul is more complex than that. Your soul aches. The healers argue that is a pressing concern. I am inclined to agree.”

“Yes, well, we both know why that is, now don’t we?” Weiss sniffed as she pushed herself to sit in bed. The tray landed across her lap moments later. “It isn’t as if you can do anything about it.”

“What would you have me do?” Blake asked her. “Call Ruby to this bedchamber so that you may have your way with her as you wish?”

“That wouldn’t solve a thing…”

“You’re right, it wouldn’t.” Blake agreed. “The offer has now been placed in front of you regardless. I didn’t say it for my own sake.”

“Obviously…”

Blake sighed at length then. Weiss was difficult to understand. Peeling back the layers of emotion that the woman clung to wasn’t an easy matter. It was as difficult as pealing back the skin of a cactus. A situation where getting pricked would happen at least once. A wounded finger simply hurt less than a wounded heart. “Well, it isn’t as if you want me to share congress with you. Concubines are just as common here as they are in Atlas for those that live life unmated.”

“And yet, we are married.”

“Not mated, however.” Blake said then. “A key distinction for a Faunus like myself.”

“It isn’t for me.” Weiss told her. “Marriage is a binding thing. Sharing congress with anyone else would be beneath me.”

“Even for someone you love?”

“If it isn’t returned, it would mean nothing.” Weiss said then. The meal in front of her demanding to be eaten. The conversation heavy enough to warrant shoving food in her mouth merely so she wouldn’t need to speak.

“I think I have done well to please the whims of Atlas, but in doing so I have displeased the people that I care for.” Blake said as she poured some wine from the nearby bottle that was left for her to enjoy. “I told you that I would teach you the ways of the Faunus. Up until now, you’ve been too sick for me to be able to. Even now, with your frail health I wonder about the timing. Even so, I think we should begin to think about Faunus union as it pertains to my people and adopt the practice between us.”

Weiss said nothing to this, her spoon acting as the required excuse for silence.

“Your silence speaks for itself.” Blake sighed then. “The concept might be wholly unsatisfying to you, but you’d learn a great deal while living the life we lead. Accepting our practices as part of your own.”

“However mating requires love, so you say.” Weiss said as she dabbed at her lips with the offered cloth napkin. “There is no love between us, hardly even friendship.”

“Yet, having a spouse must mean something to you.”

“It was political in nature. You know why I did this, it wasn’t for my sake or for yours. That was merely window dressing for my true intentions which I have fulfilled.”

“Look where it has gotten you.” Blake said with a shrug as she brought the wine to her lips. “Mating itself is done out of love, surely. A choice made by two Faunus who wish to spend their lives together. However, if love was the only qualifier many Faunus wouldn’t have a fulfilling mate. Romantic love can dwindle and die, but loyalty and instinct remains often times beyond that. Mating is a daily effort to unify a bond between Faunus, it is not a means to an end. Love often remains because of that mutual effort, but to think that it is as simple as placing a ring on a finger negates our practices entirely. We have no use for trinkets like that beyond the thrill of a gift.”

Weiss grit her teeth. This was her wife, pigheaded as she could often be. “You say that as though a wedding ring is the finality of a union.”

“It was undoubtedly the finality in ours.” Blake returned.

“Touché.”


	2. Chapter 2

** Precious, finite, Resources: A Ruler’s Recovery  
Chapter 2 **

The warm water was not without its own sense of cruel awkwardness. Weiss needed to be stripped, and Blake was the one to aid her nude form over the slippery rocks that held the spring in its place. The heat would do her some good, but that didn’t keep her from flinching. Weiss allowed her wife to help her as Blake lifted her effortlessly and carried her into the water. When Weiss was at her most sickly, she had gotten used to Blake’s hands, accepted that it was just a means to an end. This was not the same in that Blake also found herself sitting in the warm water, an arm’s length away.

Too far, and too close, all at the same time.

The Belladonna’s retreated here often for respite, so Blake thought very little about the fact that she was sharing the water with another at all. Nudity wasn’t particularly uncommon among social groups, it wasn’t as though they ogled each other relentlessly. Kinships formed freely when there was so little to hide, and Blake mused silently to herself that the only reason she gave thought to that was because they were alone.

That in this moment the family unit was reduced down to those only expected to share congress. It was not a mistake to assume that countless in the Belladonna line likely conceived in these forests, or at the very least had a good time trying. If someone else had joined them beyond the thick foliage, she would have never needed to consider such a thing.

If her parents had joined them at the hot spring, it would have been a time for relaxation and rejuvenation. Simple conversation filling the void of natural silence. However, her parents hadn’t joined, and Blake’s reason from bringing Weiss here had everything to do with the confines of their relationship. Although Weiss didn’t attempt to hide herself from view, it was clear that she was not nearly as comfortable with the idea of communal bathing. If she were to share the water with Ruby, she would have had no such displeasure.

Blake wondered if Weiss would ever seek out another. A concubine or bedfellow that she actually enjoyed her time with. If she would bring that person here, doing things that could frighten the birds from the trees. It was utterly frustrating to know that either of them could make an advance only for the other not to decline. That was the crux of the issue, Blake decided. She could have taken this woman to her bed nightly if she wished. That was the privilege of a spouse as far as the ideology of Atlas would ever be concerned. Weiss would not have turned her away, not matter how much she might have wished to.

Some lovers were understanding, Blake assumed. Not all humans were manipulative or vicious, and it was insane to think that they were. Love demanded to respect another’s wishes. That was one of the hallmarks of a mate over a mere spouse.

For those of Menagerie, mating honors and privilege reigned supreme. One had to earn the privilege of sexual gratification. It wasn’t offered up on a silver platter based solely upon expectation. Marriage and mating were not the same things, and therefore, were not treated as equal among Faunus in general. In her parent’s eyes, and her own, it was that simple. Blake might have been married, but their daughter did not have access to procreation simply because of marriage.

That they were both women didn’t matter either. If the advance was unwelcome, it was not to be done. It was time to educate this human on the concept of Faunus mating.

“Did you know that a Faunus like myself may take a plethora of mates over the course of her life?” Blake asked curiously. “That it might be uncommon to partake more than one?”

“Does the concept of monogamy not mean anything to you?” Weiss asked, sinking lower into the water as she glared hotly at the random question that seemed to come out of nowhere.

“In a manner of speaking.” Blake said loftily. “It does hold value to us when we find a mate that can fill all of our needs, but we’re practical people too. Mating is as simple or complex as we wish it to be. Having more than one mate has more value sometimes. For example, we’re both women, and without the magic and technology of your homeland our ability to have a child is limited.”

“I’ve told you before, dust is a scientific boon.” Weiss shot back indignantly, one arm flailing unhappily as it slapped against the water. “It isn’t magic, and it certainly can’t produce a child from thin air.”

“For Faunus in Menagerie we have three choices if we want children. Take in a child that isn’t our own, find a mate that already has children, or find a willing mate of the opposite gender to have offspring with. Those are the only options at our disposal. The last one isn’t exactly the most appealing if you aren’t at least somewhat interested in the opposite sex. Then again, occasionally multiple gay and bisexual family units sometimes join together strictly for the sake of blood related offspring. It isn't unheard of.”

“There is something known as a donor, Blake. A man needs not have intercourse with a lady to offer his seed.” Weiss said with a roll of her eyes as if Blake was far too primitive to understand that concept. “How else would my sister be able to pull from Yang’s genepool?”

“The same way we do, by forming strong social bonds that last a lifetime.” Blake said with a roll of her eyes. “Bloodline is not as paramount to us in lines of succession. Any orphaned child I would claim as my own would be become a Belladonna without question. To question it, would be to question me. It isn’t wise to ask such questions.”

How wonderfully barbaric.” Weiss said dryly.

“In what way?” Blake asked her gently.

Weiss merely shrugged, tilting her head and looking away from the Faunus beside her. “I assume that has everything to do with who you are to your people.”

“And if you did, you’d assume wrong.” Blake said quietly. “Faunus have a strict moral code that we follow. We cannot face this world alone. Perhaps some could, but many would never succeed. Knowing this, cultivated bonds became the lifeblood of the Faunus. To question those cultivated bonds puts us all at risk. Parents against offspring, siblings against cousins. Sworn brotherhood and sisterhood itself becomes impeded the moment we dishonor those we truly care for. That is why it’s not wise.”

“It seems counterproductive.”

“It only works among those of like mind, true. However, this is why the tribes trust their chieftain to lay the laws of the land, just as humans defer to the government. Bylaws only have power to work under the guidance of those who carefully uphold them. That can be flawed, just like any station of power. The Belladonna’s have only kept our station for so long because the family itself was beloved by the people. We could have been uprooted at any time. The problem with royal bloodlines are that they can be much harder to overthrow.”

Weiss thought on that, not at all happy that she could not argue against the strict atlesian policies that kept her family in power for so long. Enabling a tyrant that could only be slain by his own flesh and blood. She made no excuse for it. Winter had accepted his sins upon her shoulders. In a small way, Weiss knew that she had done so as well. It was their birthright to guide and lead their kingdom. How that happened fell onto them, it didn’t rightly matter how the people felt about it.

Surely they could attempt to storm the castle, but with the army of guards easy to dispatch such open hostility would always lead to bloodshed that couldn’t even guarantee victory. Murders were often carried out silently in the dead of night for strictly that reason. Her sister was fearsome because she was not subtle in the way her blade drained the man that had become such a dark stain upon the family and their people. Her demand of respect in the aftermath came hard earned, and still civil war was a haunting possibility.

“You are saying that you would have conceded your power willingly?” Weiss asked then.

“A ruler with willing followers has no need to concede at all.” Blake said without a moment of hesitation. “Concession comes at the hand of failure that cannot be forgiven. Even our line had chieftains like that, but our line was vast before the war. Plenty with the Belladonna name among which to swear loyalty to. I am the first Belladonna in the line without competition to please the people. I have no cousins, no siblings, and now married to you tribal law no longer has the staying power it once had.”

“You assume that will stop attempts upon your life.”

“If anything, it promises them.” Blake shot back. “Failing chieftains were rarely killed when the people could merely storm the home and send them to exile if they would not willingly submit. Our guards were few in number, skilled but never to be outdone by the swarm of the masses. Our protection came from being beloved or at least well respected, not because we had an army at our command.”

“Why then, did your father command such vast numbers in the war? If it were not a unified army, what was it?”

“Desperation.” Blake said. “Tribes were being culled, leaders destroyed. What was my father to do, allow it? Those that followed him did so because our kin were being slain. Those kept safe could only wonder for how long that would last. They joined him because he was willing to die for the sake of all Faunus if it brought peace, and willing to survive to rebuild what we lost if that peace had been won by force. We would never have had the staying power we did if willing warriors from other tribes hadn’t been willing to join the war. There were no Faunus heroes on that battle field, Weiss. Only those who were terrified enough to hold the line. Knowing if we didn’t we’d lose everything.”

“It seems too good to be true.”

“Ruby does not feel that way.” Blake said quietly. “If the war had given her any validation at all, would you have ever come for us?”

No.” Weiss said softly. She would have had no reason to. “I only was made aware that there were Faunus survivors kept in prisons because we looked into the matter. Without her need for closure, I would have never known.”

“Then understand this, the only reason I haven’t snapped her neck with my bare hands is because her grief was so great as to move you to action.” Blake said, seeing the way blue eyes clouded over at that admission. “She is breathing proof that a ruler can be moved to greatness. If she had been born a Faunus, there is no question in my mind she would have earned a deep and profound respect among her tribe. There is an unspoken sworn sisterhood in that.”

“If you feel that way, you should tell her plainly.” Weiss said. “She still believes you hate her for what she did.”

“Part of me still does.” Blake assumed part of her always would. The past could not be erased. Yet it was that selfsame past that had given the Faunus of menagerie the freedom from the chance at slavery or certain death. Reconciling any of those muddy history would be difficult, but Ruby had proved without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to. The war was not her doing, she was merely acting as she had been ordered. “Would it please you if I were to call her my kin?”

“What?” Weiss asked, more than a little confused.

“If I were to draw her into the line as my kin, she would enjoy many comforts. Access to our lands, premier rights to traverse the territory at her whim. Right to request some of her own that would need to be considered and not merely cast aside.” Blake asked again. “If I were to claim her as one of the Belladonna line for the peoples of Menagerie, she would no longer be yours to command. She would be given the same claiming rights to Menagerie as my parents, lesser only to the two of us within the territory. Would that please you?”

“I do not know.” Weiss murmured. “Ruby has never been one to like the expectations of royalty. I would have asked her to be my wife if she had… You know this.”

“It is good then that I would only expect her best efforts to those beneath her. I also know the ways of my people are not the same as yours.” Blake said honestly. “Pleasing a mate is foremost to a Faunus. We would not wish to see them suffer. If rising Ruby’s station would ease her regrets and lessen your mental burdens, I would consider it. For you to take mating with me seriously, I would consider a great deal…”

* * *

It so happened that Ruby returned on the eve of a full shattered moon. Her men weary and unable to march further into the depths of the forests without respite. More lives had been taken against the vicious Grimm that inhabited the forest, but they had been laid to rest. Headstone carved from boulders would be named a sacred path. Blake and her father walked the newly marked trail to leave offerings for their resting spirits. Many decorated warriors joined, but so few of them were human.

Their sadness was different, a grief that Blake had never experienced. She couldn’t understand why they refused to make the travel, confused by the way their morale drained continuously. She could not fathom why, and Ruby was the insight when Weiss refused to explain what she stated a Faunus would never understand.

“Only hunters are buried in the forests. Most of us aren’t even buried because we die alone. It suits us that way, I think.” Ruby said, despite being wrapped in bandages she and several other humans were hard at work. Stone masons cutting limestone and arranging them in a tall square. “But, it’s hard not to have a place to go when a loved one leaves. That’s why we have graveyards in the big kingdoms.”

“I see.” Blake murmured, scowling at the girl who would push herself to spit blood if she continued. “And this graveyard you speak of… it provides solace to humans?”

“Sometimes? I’m sorry, I don’t really know. It’s not like that in my family.” Ruby shrugged, shovel in hand as she worked to clear a flat surface for the monument to be built. “My whole family are hunters. We know one day there’s really not a good chance of coming back, and a low chance of being found if we don’t. Remnant takes us back. As hunters and huntresses we bury our own dead if we find one of our own, it’s the least we can do.”

It was fitting that hunters died the Faunus way. Given back to the lands they had subsisted from. Buried among the wilds, because in the end the wilds were the heart of the planet. Teaming with new life and old alike. “It is the honorable way.” Blake agreed, because in that she was sure. Faunus were taken back to the wilds, buried among its depths to be protected by the forest. Their spirits said to live in harmony with the wilderness. That was why it was so important to Faunus to respect the wilds. To disrespect it, would be to disrespect those spirits that lived there. “There is no greater honor we can give of ourselves, than giving back to the land that has given to us.”

“I don’t know about that.” Ruby murmured, dragging the sweat from her brow, frowning as it browned the bandage on her arm. Shucking dirt was filthy work, and she would need to change the dressings anew now to avoid infection while her aura healed. “Most humans don’t leave the safety of the kingdoms, they’ll die surrounded by loved ones. I guess, if you die that way it’s nice to have a place to for your family to go back to. It’s just that the island is too small for a proper graveyard, so…”

“It is sentimental, then.” Blake concluded, and while she held no such value in the practice herself, she had no desire to cause the humans now in her territory undue stress. It was a waste of limestone to her, but human practices were often made of luxury. Folding her arms she turned on her heel as she considered the project. It was not paramount, but then again, in a way it was. Emotional ails were not the sort that could be healed easily. If this soothed humans, tended to those ails in some small way, was it truly worthless?

She was not sure, and making her way to her father’s study, she sought his guidance.

She explained the matter to him as he offered an ear with tea in hand. He had ruled as a chieftain long enough to know if this would be a detriment. His concerns with the labor the project took was the same as her own. Still, he stroked his beard thoughtfully, no wiser than a mere man considering the needs of the people.

“It would only be worthless if it wasn’t useful.” Ghira said after a moment. “I think that when faced with a matter like this, the question of mercy is where you’ll find the answer to the problem. Are you willing to draw a blade over this?”

Blake had been taught well when it came to the question of mercy. All warriors among Faunus were given a question to weigh. Mercy or the drawn blade. An offered hand or an upturned nose. Blades enabled viciousness. Allowed bloodshed. Therefore the question was simple in its complexity. Could the drawn blade be merciful despite its prone to viciousness?

The answer was yes, the blade could be merciful. The one that held the blade could make that choice to be merciful. It was harder to forgive when the forgiveness wasn’t deserved. It was simpler to turn up ones nose than it was to offer a hand. Yet warriors were decorated in vibrant colors because those colors were beautiful. Certain dye was not always easy to obtain, and neither was the honor to be given an object of such coloring. It came at great expense, the warrior doing deeds worthy of the notice.

“You are saying that to refuse the monument, I would have to choose viciousness.” Blake murmured, not liking that was the conclusion she came to.

“Pointless viciousness at that. More stone can be cut.” Ghira told her.

“With more work involved.” Blake told him.

“Work that may never be done if no one is motivated to do it.” He told her in response. “More importantly, you’ll have chosen to cut at wounds already seeping from grief. Invalidate the bonds of those you do not understand. The humans here look to you. Would you would turn your nose at your people? Is that the person you truly wish to be?”

“No.” Blake told him. “I won’t be a tyrant.”

“Then you have your answer.” Ghira said as he stood from his seat. “You offer your hand, and the monument is built with your gracious approval and best efforts. I will gather our spiritual healers to prepare an offering to bless it.”

* * *

As the monument was build, Ruby was ordered to bedrest. An order she continually ignored as she insisted to help out in some small way. When her restlessness proved to be too much for even Tukson to enforce Blake sent her to the village kitchens to bake bread and smoke fish for those hard at work. At least there Kali could keep an eye on her. Meanwhile, Weiss grudgingly continued her education on Faunus habits. today, they spoke of bloodline, and it's vast implications.

“The line would continue by virtue of the lessons I left behind.” Blake went on to explain as she tried to get Weiss to understand why bloodline was not as important to Faunus leaderships as it was to human ones. “As Faunus we understand the rules of nature, but we uphold the values of nurture. A child not of our blood can still learn our values. The spirit of the Belladonna line is what must live on, not the blood itself.”

“It seems far too whimsical to hold any real grounds, Blake." Weiss said, because blood and bone ran deep among humans.

“Perhaps so, but many things in this world are not meant to be explained, only felt.” Blake told her as she sat on the side of the bed. “On the other side of the coin, bloodline has its own value too. Among Faunus if I were to take a male mate and carry his child, it wouldn’t be thought of as unsavory. However, the mating itself ends when someone decides to put an end to that. Even if a Faunus is displeased about the end of a mating, it must be respected. That’s why seeking out likeminded Faunus is so important. It’s also why love is so highly regarded as an important factor in mating proceedings. You are more likely to keep a mate you love, than a mate that you don't. You are more likely to see to their needs, and they to yours.”

At that Weiss could only scoff. “And what if this mate of yours were to not be pleased to have such a right taken away?”

“It is not a right to bed a mate, it is an honor to be thankful for.” Blake shot back. “Mating can end at any time. Some Faunus like my parents mate lifelong. Others do not. However, it is never a right to have a mate. We cannot dictate mating, or demand it by force. That would destroy the reason it exists.” Blake shot back. “If I were to take a mate, other honors must be upheld after the mating is complete.”

“You Faunus would honor a flower if the sunlight happened to touch it.”

“It runs deep, I won’t deny that. For example, if I were bed a male and have a child, he would be given station within the Belladonna home to come and go as he pleased, rearing rights to his offspring, and further duties within the social fold. Named as kin, he would be able to further carry the family line if he sought a new mate and had more offspring. Those offspring would be given the same luxuries as the father if he wished to claim them in the Belladonna line.”

“You would allow that?”

“Is it wrong to do so when honor is upheld?”

“I would think it would be strange.”

“That only assumes he would name them Belladonna’s.” Blake said with a small laugh. “You assume that would be the instant choice."

It would be dimwitted not to." Weiss sighed then. "You are the most powerful person here."

"That's a human's mentality. It's true some search for the most powerful family line, but not every Faunus would think that way. Depending on his mate, they may take their mother’s family line instead. If that were to happen, other traditions would be observed. While they may not be Belladonna’s, the mother and her children would still be offered a place at our table. We’d be sure to welcome them at our side during village ceremonies as well.”

“It seems a bit much, doesn’t it?” Weiss wondered then. “That you would open up your home so much for a person you are no longer in a relationship with. That you would welcome another woman if he wished it?”

“All Faunus would offer the same if they wished to maintain peaceful relations. My station is higher than most, but the principle applies to any family of Faunus within the village. These close ties bind us together, and they ripple out to make the whole tribe a unified whole.” At that, Blake set down a thin long box in front of Weiss. “Despite the fact tribal law has died, the meaning in many of our practices are important to us. It would please me for you to accept this offering as a sign our impending mating.”

Weiss just frowned at her. Blake’s wedding ring was in the middle of the ocean due to the fact that the Faunus had cast it aside. Now, here she was trying to offer something in return? It made little sense. “I thought Faunus didn’t give gifts to signify such a thing. You said a gift is merely a trinket and little more.”

“We don’t, and that is not a gift.” Blake told her. “It is something I withheld from you the day we were married. My mother had it made, despite my protests.”

“Now I’m afraid of what’s in this box.” Weiss grumbled as she took it and opened it without much worry to the cardboard in question. Inside rested an ornate dagger, the metal brightly showcasing the Belladonna family crest. Beneath it a black scarf with the same crest rested and waited to be donned. “What even is the meaning of this?”

“You are a wife to a decorated warrior, and as such you have rights to a blade of your own and a sash of recognition.” Blake said proudly as she skillfully picked up the dagger and unsheathed it, showcasing the deadly blade. “It is customary to give those who are not trained warriors themselves a dagger such as this.”

“A betrothal dagger…” Weiss deadpanned. “How oddly fitting…”

“It has nothing to do with mating inherently.” Blake said with a shake of her head. “It carries our family crest, a symbol of great pride to a Faunus. Warriors are proud to showcase the crests that they’ve exchanged to show their unified bond. We carry those symbols into battle, and when we die, we're buried with them. The wives are often not forgotten in that offering. You were entitled to a dagger and a sash, but I kept yours from you. If I wish to honor you as a prospective mate, I can’t refuse your right to have it any longer. Throw it away for all that I care, it’s yours to do with as you wish.”


	3. Precious, finite, Resources: A Ruler’s Recovery Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this last chapter concludes this bridging fiction. I don't know yet when the next story will be released, but this has all step up for it. So, whenever it is released we will enter into the principality properly. I hope you enjoyed this journey for what it was, and forgive it for what it is not.
> 
> See you guys in the next story, whenever it is ready to be released.

“Stay put!” Blake bellowed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time since Ruby had arrived back to the village. There was no keeping her still, and that was proving to be a burden. “Move from that bed and I will cut your legs off myself.” She turned to Weiss. “Watch her, or else. That wasn’t an idle threat.” Turning on her heel Blake marched out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Several guards waited outside the door to keep Ruby from finding any more chores that needed to be done in the endless rebuild of what would become a principality.

“We weren’t finished yet!” Ruby called back indignantly as she pouted. Nothing was more humiliating that being slung over Blake’s shoulder and carted through the entire village like a bag of potatoes. Her personal pride trounced and left in the dirt. "Ugh, she never listens does she?!"

“Shut up, Ruby.” Weiss sighed with a shake of her head.

"I can't believe she did that."

“I can..."

"What? Weiss you're supposed to be on my side."

"I am, even if that doesn't seem like it. You’re never going to heal if you don’t let your aura recover. It’s barely compensating with as hard as you’re pushing yourself.”

“I’m not working that hard.” Ruby argued, refusing to let her weakness show. “I’m just doing what I can. Everyone is, and that's the least we can do.”

“You cannot do such difficult work, Ruby. You only believe you can, and that’s delusional thinking on your part.” Weiss told her, feeling that selfsame statement being reflected at her through the gaze of gunmetal eyes. The pout was easy to ignore, but the knowing glance was not. Weiss pushed aside with a glare of her own and upturned nose. “If Blake catches you out of bed, I think she really will try to cut off your legs.”

“The boats need to be repaired though…” Ruby said, waving her arm around randomly that was likely in the direction of the port.

Weiss couldn’t be sure if that’s where Ruby really wanted to go, but it didn’t rightly matter. Ruby was in no mood to be told she couldn’t be out and hard at work. Weiss sympathized, felt her own sense of annoyance. Being unable to see to any of the royal politics would set them all back. However, Weiss was smart enough to know that illness was not a foe that could be browbeaten into submission. That simple truth stayed with her, overshadowing any sympathy she had for her best friend. “Recovery takes time, Ruby.”

“Then I should have plenty of time to get some chores done. My baby needs repairs, and they kicked me out of the forge.”

“They kicked you out of the forge because you passed out from all the heat.” Weiss sighed gently, clicking her tongue in admonishment. “Blake tells me you haven’t been listening to the medics or the healers one bit, either.”

“I can’t stay in bed, I’ll go crazy.” Ruby complained. “Besides, everyone else is working so hard. I can’t just be sitting here doing nothing. It makes me look bad and besides I'm supposed to be one of your best huntresses.”

“One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. You're hurt, and the other hunters aren’t allowed to leave until you’ve recovered.” Weiss shot back, wagging a finger at Ruby’s antics. “Stop being troublesome and get the rest you need. Clearing the path to the volcano is your responsibility, and the hunters can’t push ahead without you.”

“This is so stupid.”

“What happened in the kitchens?" Weiss asked curiously. "Last that I had heard of the situation, you were allowed to be in there.”

"Not anymore, Kali kicked me out.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. The woman seemed to get along well with the young huntress. If she had forcefully sent her away, there was very likely a good reason. “What did you do?”

“Nothing…”

“If I would ask Kali, she would say nothing?”

“The kitchens were hot too, okay?” Ruby finally admitted. “And dealing with all of the dough by hand is really heavy. She stuck me outside pealing vegetables with the little kids. Some of the hunters were laughing at me for doing kids work. Even the older boys get to help build houses, why can’t I do something better than pealing vegetables?”

“Because you’re in no condition to be doing hard physical labor, Ruby. You’re not as well put together as you’re pretending to be.” At that Weiss sighed, lifting her hand to cut Ruby’s cheek. “You’ve lost weight.”

“Only a little fat.” Ruby said batting her hand away. “I’m way better off than you think.”

Weiss didn’t believe that for a second, but a single finger prodding at Ruby’s bandaged side gave her enough proof to silence any doubts she might have had. Ruby Rose was a fighter, she could take almost anything head on. By the way she doubted over at the mere jab of that dainty finger, her ribs were still terribly bruised. “Ruby?!” Weiss gasped as Ruby grit her teeth as if trying to hide the pain. “You’re worse than I thought! I expected a twinge, not tears.”

“I’m fine Weiss.” Ruby insisted, her palm coming up to brush away the wetness that she didn’t want to admit to. It hurt... Just breathing hurt...

“If I undressed you right now, how just how discolored from bruises would I find you?”

Ruby said nothing, looking away in shame.

“You’re an idiot.” Weiss said, a lump in her throat hard to swallow down. It hurt to see Ruby this way. Despite how many times she had over the years, it never got easier.

* * *

In truth, as much as she tended to scold her friend, she tended to agree with Ruby. Sitting idly by was no longer an option. There came a time when Ruby eventually returned to the wilds, and Weiss refused to remain on her own rest any longer. There was work to be done, and she was just healthy enough to make her way to the large room that housed important meetings. With Blake to help her, she made her way to the chair with wobbly legs and sat down at the table for the first time in months.

Trade and commerce were among the key points of the discussion, but Weiss found herself unable to keep up with the numbers and statistics that sat in front of her. It wasn’t that she was daft, it was that keeping these meetings regularly meant she had plenty of catching up to do. Older Faunus and humans alike argued semantics that were lost to her, and Blake was all too willing to cast aside the ideas she greatly disliked. Buried beneath the paperwork across the table, Weiss wondered honestly how her sister managed these sorts of meetings herself. Atlas had many more people, and it was far more complicated than Menagerie to preside over.

Black certainly didn't have any tact in the matter. One packet of planning hitting the fire when key infrastructure lacked the things Faunus would require in tight spaces. When the meeting finally concluded it was with no decisions made and more arguments than answers. Ghira and Kali had been the most placid in their suggestions, but they had the ability to command attention in a way that Weiss had to respect. It was likely Ghira's history as the Chieftain that had given them such an expertise, but it was infuriating all the same. Weiss couldn't help but feel that her own experience in royal matters, lesser though it was, would have allowed her to have that selfsame skill.

However it was ambition that had earned them their position, not bloodline, and she was beginning to understand that it made all the difference.

“You assured me the meetings have improved.” Weiss said the moment she collapsed into a finely crafted armchair within the Belladonna chamber. A meager throne room, if one dared to call it that. She was grateful for the rest, her legs feeling like jelly as she looked down the short stairway that raised the section of chairs above those that would enter to see them. “I saw no evidence of that.”

“They have. It’s just that your memory is faulty.” Blake replied, pulling open the thick velvet curtains and helping Weiss to get comfortable. No easy task when the woman was pressing herself to the forefront of every effort. She should be in bed, not seeing to requests and reports. Yet Weiss was even more hardheaded than Ruby could ever be. "At least they’re finally attacking ideology, no longer each other. They could still be trading insults.”

“I suspected we’d be further along than this.” Weiss told the woman, frowning as Blake pored wine instead of taking a seat for herself. That was the job of a royal servant, not the ruler of her people. Blake kept so few that several tasks fell onto her own shoulders no matter how many times Weiss had tried to correct that. “On that topic, I was promised twenty more staff by the end of the season. Where are they, and why haven't they been allocated to domestic service?”

“Chosen, but still untrained.” Blake explained tasting the wine and shrugging. She poured a tiny bit of water in hers to taste, preferring only subtle flavor. "I haven't changed their posts yet."

“I told you it was paramount to do so.” Weiss groused. "That you choose not to listen is yet another headache I'll have to deal with."

“And I told you not to worry about that.” Blake shot back, her position final. “Workers have other places to be if food is to be stored and housing built. They have no time to be learning how to bake your sweets and serve your tea perfectly how you like it. It’s a sacrifice for now, you’ll get used to it.”

Weiss glanced down snidely at the rather rudely offered cup of wine. A small amount, pitiful really. Practically shoved up her nose in the process, and in a wooden goblet no less. Fine shipments of crystal for entertaining guests hadn’t arrived just yet. “I am no stranger to sacrifice, but you’re too short sighted in this, Blake.” Weiss said as she took the wine in hand. “Finery begets finery. Now that I am well enough, we must begin to take action in other ways. Impressing our social peers demands a certain level of opulence around here. If you have any hope of achieving their funding and support at all, you’ll get those servants trained as quickly as possible.”

“What are you so worried about?”

“The nobles for one, my elder sister for another.” Weiss bit out, bringing the wine to her lips. Even that was not the quality she most expected. It was aright for a private meal, but never for hosting a gathering.

"Why worry about what your sister thinks?" Blake asked her. "You often don't..."

"I do on matters that she is the most qualified to oversee. She is our ruler, and we must try to adhere to her standards."

"We're doing the best we can within reason."

“I'd beg to differ. She would be displeased to hear that personal overseers of doled out land happens to be doing the work of a mere commoner. This is a principality now Blake, not tribe lands. Pouring wine is the job of a servant trained to taste for the finest quality. You cannot pass such a carefully chosen profession to just anyone. It takes years of meticulous training to oversee vineyards and plan the yearly wine harvest. Procurement of rare ales is of utmost importance, particularly when we are surrounded by salty seas. When fresh water is at such a premium, ale and wines lengthen the storage.”

“We do have clear water rivers, and they show no signs of drying again until the next hot summer drought.”

“You cannot guarantee that, and contingents do not thrive well in alcohol.”

“These are the tropics, and rainfall is collected by the buckets full.” Blake told her. “You can promise a nearly endless supply of clean water if you care for the ecosystem that thrives here. Besides, we can’t forget just who it was that spoiled most of our fresh water resources to begin with. I doubt I need to remind you the island’s largest lake is still contaminated with yellow dust because of your father’s war.”

“You miss the point.”

“I don’t, but you are overlooking mine.”

“You haven’t made one.”

“I shouldn’t have too, but it seemed lived experience didn’t teach you anything.”

“Just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Faunus senses are delicate, we drink a great deal of clean water because inebriation impairs them. We like our meads, wines, and ales like any other, but there are limits to just how much we consume regularly. Fresh juices, milks, and water are the primary staples around here because they do not inhibit us the way fermented beverages tend to.” Blake said. “Also even in the winters, days don’t fall into frozen temperatures. Hard labor diminished the liquids in the body and liquor of any nature is dehydrating.”

“Liquid is still liquid, better than none.”

“I’m sure those that are sweating their lives away would disagree. You are recovering from poor nourishment, but make no mistake. It hard work hastened your downfall, and it drew away the vitality within you. The heat was just as much a cause as your lack of proper meals. Starvation was not your only enemy.” Blake told her. “When you sweat at length you release more than water. You abandon nutrients vital to your survival. Here in the tropics that will be deadly. Fresh water with the best minerals supplement the body and fortify it against heatstroke. It is all too common in the hot months.”

“So you say…”

“I’ve seen it, so I know. The answer to this problem is not alcoholic in nature.” Blake told her with a firm nod. “All lakes need to be overseen, watched, and protected. Our water needs to be monitored and aquatic life needs to be kept balanced. A healthy ecosystem provides safe water that needs only the simplest filtration in order to drink it. This island provides all we need to do so. Rocks, pebbles, find sands, charcoal, and clean cotton is all one needs when the lakes and rivers themselves are maintained by the wildlife.”

“If these people die, it will be on your head.”

“It’s a good thing then, that I know the proper way to do things.” Blake told her, downing the rest of her own glass. “If we want to make this place sustainable, we need to work together. I know how to survive this island. If you want to be of use, find out how we can appeal to these nobles in a way that doesn’t cut into our manpower. There must be something only we can offer, isn’t there?”

Weiss frowned. “I… I don’t know.” She said, gritting her teeth at the thought. “I’d have to think on it, but what you ask may be impossible.”

“That would only be true if you gave up before you tried.” Blake told her. “Make it happen. If little else, I know you have that gumption in you.”

* * *

Eventually, they had come to an agreement. A half-truce between finery and simplicity. A step forward perhaps, no matter how small. Five more servants were added to the household staff, and in return Weiss made due with the lower quality craftsmanship’s of goods and finite stores of prized vintage beverages. All of the wooden utensils were replaced with earthenware of like items. Unremarkable iron knives, forks, and spooks replaced with polished silver. An extravagant purchase that Blake bulked at to be sure, but the compromise came from humbly furnished guest rooms that lacked the finest dressings of colored silks, mirrors, and other impossible niceties.

It was well before sunrise that Blake woke in her room. Thiers still the most nicely furnished of all, and even Weiss still claimed it was not nice enough The woman was sleeping at her side, stirring as the edges of sleep faded away. Blake only stayed because of a promise she made. Vowing that she wouldn’t leave Weiss to her lonesome was not a small thing. Perhaps she should have worded her promise differently. She sat up from the sheets, flicking her ears mildly as she yawned.

She regarded the sleeping woman, idly scratching behind one of her faunus ears as she considered the woman who seemed like a doll while sleeping. Ego aside, Weiss was rather pretty. Gaining that hint of color to those alabaster cheeks had done Weiss a world of good. Filling back out so that her ribs were no longer visible and regaining her strength had promised that Blake kept a beautiful woman in her bed. Still, no matter what her dirtier thoughts took her, she still couldn’t claim that Weiss was her mate. Couldn't act, couldn't take, and couldn't ignore the fact she was beginning to want to.

either way, the woman was still unfit for that title, although Blake had to also admit that Weiss was now attempting to reach that goal in subtle ways. They were unnoticeable to most who would gaze upon them, but Blake noticed the tiny details. Weiss was not so difficult to speak with, no matter how much Blake liked to claim she was. Weiss tended to listen when the Faunus advisors spoke, although she didn’t agree with everything. In fact, Weiss tended to sorely disagreed more often than not. Yet she would lend an ear, and that was a stride Blake would have never thought a Schnee capable of making.

Most importantly, Weiss was beginning to weigh her bloodline with experience. Seeing and acting not only as a Schnee, but as a ruler beyond it. She walked the lands without escort, and got used to the day to day business of the village. Ignoring the fact the blind devotion would not be provided, and that her station didn't immediately promise her the utmost respect. Those were Faunus ideals, heart and soul, and that Weiss began to accept them herself were attractive qualities to Blake. Something beyond the then veneer of physical beauty.

Still, mating required love. Weiss was not quite ready for that. Not quite ready to truly embrace that concept, at least, not when it came to the Faunus she married. Weiss still held a love for Ruby. It had faded a little, eased a bit from the painful reality that had set in. When they first began to settle on the island, Blake thought it would never wane. Although it had lessened, it was not gone. Only diminished. Blake doubted it ever would gone completely. As though Weiss would lose a fundamental part of her soul of the love she had for Ruby was every completely cast aside. It would never be forgotten about, never truly or entirely.

Still, she planned her proceedings. If Weiss continued this path, she would make her announcement formally one day soon.

Blake slowly got out of bed so that she wouldn’t wake her wife and padded to the door to their room. Just outside of it a personal attendant stood guard. Blake wasn’t accustomed to ordering around the new servants, but many things in her life had started changing the moment she took her position among her people seriously. If she were on her own, she would have prepared her own bath and saw to her own meal. As it stood, that wasn’t an option anymore.

She had come to understand royalty once Weiss began to mend. Began to understand that it wasn’t that royals couldn’t do those simple things, but that their minds were needed elsewhere. A household that functioned at her behest, was a household that allowed her to concern herself with other matters. The needs of the people, the ties to allies, and the meticulous planning of future endeavors. Doing her own chores took precious time away from the needs of others. A lazy ruler might laze about, but a competent one used that newfound time effectively.

Blake began to think she was starting to get the hang of it as she opened the thick wooden door.

“Ready the bath water and our attire for the day. Order the kitchen to begin mealtime preparations while you’re at it. Send word to my mother to have the women assembled by daybreak to tend the fields. Send another to my father to see the men and boys are digging the next set of wells by noon.” She told the woman, watching as the Faunus nodded before scurrying down the hall hastily. Blake could only sigh as the woman went about her work, leaving only a dark hallway behind. Blake slipped the door shut and leaned against it heavily. The list of commands were so long, she wondered if she missed anything.

It was new she reminded herself. That’s why it felt wrong. Yet, here she was doling out the orders anyway. Just like she would do from now on, every single morning...

* * *

Shambles of war were left behind, slowly healing as weeks turned to months, and months to years. A thriving village now sat nestled in the forests of Menagerie. This was the birthplace of the new principality that Atlas claimed. Once it had been stolen from the Faunus, a worthless prize that lay desolate and unused. Now, it had meaning once more. Humans and Faunus alike lived side by side, a tenuous peace. The main source of food came from fish gathered from the sea. It was supplemented by trade and commerce from Atlas and the other kingdoms.

It had been two long and grueling years to get this far. It seemed crazy to think it. That it had been so long, and so short. Two years since landing upon the shores Menagerie to reclaim her home. Two years that she would be named a royalty among humans and Faunus alike. Two years a marker that seemed completely idiotic to think about.

Despite this, she knew it would be a long road ahead.

Blake looked out over her lands. Her home finally seemed a little like how she remembered it. She walked the streets inspecting the wares that each peddler saw fit to sell. Fresh fruits, odd trinkets, and even the occasional specialty item form the north gave amusement to the people. They were still a fairly poor principality, rising from the ashes day by day. It wasn’t even worthy of being named a principality yet, and regardless, that was the title the island was now known by officially.

Behind her, she could hear the prattling of the queen as she demanded that Weiss hurry her plans along. They needed to procure dust from the mine located beneath the deadly volcano. It was the only way to fund the growing principality, and to ensure the positive reception of the people back in Atlas. Blake hardly paid any mind to it. Winter Schnee was not the sort of woman to make idle demands. Yet, even if she were, the facts would not change. No matter what came flying out of her mouth, they would be expected to see the matter handled.

“You do realize that you’re asking the impossible.” Weiss said, as she held her newest purchases. “The mine is too unstable yet to house workers. Ruby claims it will be another year until the Grimm are cleared and the final preparations are complete.”

“Dangerous and deadly or not Weiss, you must get that mine up and running soon.” Winter told her. “My advisors are complaining, and the support for this cause drops steadily by the day. I have to walk a careful path in this matter, and the struggles of the principality makes it no easier.”

“You’re merely upset that I sent Qrow as the messenger.” Weiss replied flippantly.

“That goes without saying.” Winter replied with a dry air of superiority. A shield against her true feelings regarding Yang’s uncle, and the constant problems he would bring to her in written word. “He is the last person I wish to hear from regarding your efforts.”

Weiss felt that was a fair criticism, though she wouldn’t find a replacement. Qrow was effective, despite his tendency to annoy Winter at every turn. “I understand your ire, sister, I do. Sadly, we are working as fast as we can. We’ve lost six laborers just last week. They died under the difficult conditions. We cannot push them harder than we already do. The people understand the need to continue hard and steadfast in our efforts, but to speed any faster would be cruel.”

“Six souls… In a week?” Winter stopped in her tracks. “How is that possible? Qrow said you were making strides.”

“We are, I swear that. The Grimm are deadly here, sister. The dust feeds their power, makes them large.” Weiss nodded, turning to face the queen of Atlas slowly. “When I say we are pushing them as hard as we can, I am not lying. Ruby has captured pneumonia not once, but twice since we began settling here. We just managed to solve the famine crisis to keep the people from being malnourished. We cannot move faster, it would be impossible. Only father, if he were still alive, would be cruel enough to ask such a thing.”

“Do not forget your own illnesses, either, Weiss.” Blake said as she placed a hand on her wife’s shoulder.

“You fell ill once more?” Winter asked her younger sibling crossly.

“Think little of it.” Weiss said, waving her hand dismissively. “I recovered just fine, you see.”

“Several times.” Blake replied, regarding Winter honestly. “Her body was not made for the wilds when we arrived. It will take time for her to gain our immunities. She's had many illnesses, but just a few months ago, she caught another fever that left her bedridden for a week.” Blake scoffed then. She was never fond of Atlas, and most certainly not of Winter. Still, she liked to think Winter would goad her younger sibling about her health.

"It seems you should train more medics and gain more efficient supplies." Winter suggested.

"It does little good to think in that way." Blake said wait a small wave of her hand. "The people of the north have no immunities to our illnesses. When you stipulated that we bring an equal number of humans and Faunus with us, you didn’t think of that.”

“Perhaps not.” Winter murmured, but she forced away her concern. Not because she wanted to, but because she had no choice. Weiss was not the sort to like being doted upon, at least not by her own sister and reigning queen. She would sooner die than admit to any weakness, particularly that of frail health. “Regardless, another ship is coming with three-hundred more souls. It will arrive shortly. You must accommodate them. My kingdom can’t sustain another harsh winter with so many mouths to feed.”

“Then we will see it done.” Blake groused out. “But we will need grain supplies until the next harvest. Our farms didn’t factor in culling the land for more crops.”

“You should consider children, and do it soon.” Winter said then. “Before illness takes you again. It if were to overcome you, Weiss, it would be too late.”

“Yes, dear sister.” Weiss said softly. “Of that I’m aware. We’ve discussed the matter, and to great length.”

“It should have Schnee blood, this child.” Winter went on to say. “You should consider your donor, and do it carefully.”

“The only male left of the Belladonna line is my father.” Blake said. “We both agreed that we will be taking in a child that isn’t of our bloodline.”

“An illegitimate heir?” Winter asked. “You think this to be a good idea, Weiss?”

“Several boys from the village have lost their families. There are even a few of fairly prominent bloodlines hailing from Atlas.” Weiss went on to say. “There is a girl too.”

“I am not keen on this.” Winter warned. “I think you should reconsider this…”

“There are dozens more Faunus children, many left orphaned because their parents did not survive the settlement process.” Blake went on then, as if to warn Winter there were even less appealing options on their minds. “We are still choosing who best to take in, and claim as our own.”

“None of them, perhaps.” Winter told them. “What brought this insanity on?”

“As I am often told, it is the Faunus way.” Weiss replied, still not entirely sure how she felt about it either. "It seems to work for them, and humans are beginning to be exposed to the concept. It would be fitting if we partook the practice ourselves I'd think."

Blake wasn’t bothered enough to care what Winter may think of it. “This is the price you pay, particularly when you wed your sister off to a Faunus who is not a man.”

“We may take two children, in fact.” Weiss said conversationally, ignoring the way that Winter’s eye’s bugged out. “Faunus don’t see bloodline alone as paramount, and if we establish those laws of odd succession early, we feel the humans will take to it. Though I expect they’ll be a little dubious at first. I certainly am.”

“I beg your pardon? This makes very little sense to me.” Winter told her. "Weiss if even you are not certain, how do you expect other to be?"

“Much of it is still lost to me too, but Blake assures me this is the proper way. As it stands, we cannot seem to agree on a single choice of a child to take in.” Weiss said with a shrug. “We will argue over the matter endlessly unless we come to some form of an agreement. Therefore, two children shall be chosen I think. We're torn between a Faunus son, and human daughter. We’ve already chosen the girl. she is a promise, but Blake and I are still in the process of deciding on the boy. Although she is quite keen on it so I believe that is almost a certainty as well.”

"You best believe it is." Blake muttered. "Faunus are filling the line one way or the other."

“I would demand to meet these children you intend to sully the line with.” Winter said coolly, rubbing her forehead with a sigh. “Are they at the very least reputable, someone worthy to gain such an immense title?”

“The boy is unnamed, and of no nobility to human concern. However, the girl you know well.” Weiss said happily. “As you know, Penny is the last of the Polendina family line. The sole predecessor to her grandfather’s title. As I’m sure you know, the man passed away awhile back.”

“Yes, of that I knew.” Winter murmured sadly. “I was under the understanding that she was given to James to see after her care. Her grandfather’s lands are still under reestablishment. Such a messy process, really.”

“She was in his care until recently.” Weiss replied with a soft nod. “When James landed on our shores during the last re-supply of armaments, she grew quite enamored with the island. Then she met Ruby, and it was as though she became attached to her like glue. Penny decided that she wanted to stay, and I didn’t see fit to refuse her. She’s a shy one. Socially inept and incapable of court proceedings. Thankfully, most of the ones we have are fairly casual affairs compared to Atlas. We are growing in numbers still, and she does quite well here.”

“More importantly, the Faunus actually like her.” Blake added. “That's reason enough for me."

"Seems daft."

"It does when Blake says it like that. However I assure you that Penny has merit, dear sister. The fact that she garners great respect from the human population makes her an ideal candidate for adoption into the royal line. We thought you might approve if it were someone with such a noble birth. Any other children we take in should be of no concern to you at that point, correct?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far. Succession is a question of competence as well as birthright.” Winter said sternly, still trying to wrap her head around the concept. “More importantly, you truly seek to take-in Penny as your own?”

“To build a principality to a reasonable size, it will take decades.” Weiss replied. “I realize she is entirely unfit for the task as she is right now. She is merely a teenaged youth.”

“She is not so much younger than you, either.” Winter pointed out. “She is closer to you in age than you are to me.”

“Still young enough to be guided and tutored, and willing besides. Let us not forget that a willingness to learn beats out any youth we might have to forcefully educate.” Weiss said pointedly. “Who knows what she may become if trained into the role.”

“At her age, who knows if she has the time to learn it?” Winter questioned.

That too was a fair point, but something equally squashed. Weiss and thought long and hard about that. She had considered it since her own childhood, really. “It is no more a gamble than if we were to have our own offspring. If Schnee blood were a guarantee for greatness, Whitley would be further ahead of his time than he actually is.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Winter reluctantly agreed. “Even so, it as you say. She is very socially inept when it comes to royal proceedings.”

“In Atlas, sure, but we're not as uppity as you people. We live a different sort of life here.” Blake told Winter with a sigh. “I wouldn’t expect a human of your blueblood breeding to understand.”

It was with that utmost perfect timing that Penny was seen with a piece of fruit in hand. The girl mindlessly chattering to a local seamstress. It seemed that both the teenaged girl and the Faunus woman were completely unaware of the fact that their rulers were walking up the street. This was a treatment that Winter was unused to. The people made way for her in Atlas, offered complete and total reverence to the mere fact that she was there at all. The same could not be said for this island.

Even those of Atlas that had moved early had gotten used to Menagerie it seemed. Accepting the presence of royalty walking around the street as though they were any other citizen. Blake was right about that. It was not the same here. Certainly not when a girl of Penny’s station would be given a needle and thread over the finest tutors that money could buy.

"What is she doing?"

"She's learning from one of our best seamstresses. Penny is often found learning among the people. Even I have learned how to fashion simple cotton dresses." Weiss replied. "I used to think that so long as a dress looked fine enough in quality, it simply had to be immaculate by its nature. Having made a few of my own now, I am aware that is often not the case. A great deal of effort goes into even the poorest fabrics."

“If you intend to educate her, perhaps I could send a few of my personal court to lend their aid.” Winter said then, more herself then to her sister.

“I’d have to decline.” Weiss replied anyway. "She learns a great deal within the public eye. I think the people endear themselves to her because of that. Locking her up within the household would likely lose her the immense favor she's gained. Besides, those of truly noble birth do not sustain well here. They begin to falter and that is why so many turn tail back to Atlas."

“We don’t need nobles. We need hard working citizens.” Blake added. “Noble blood will rise up from there. Citizens worthy enough to make a name for themselves will make it happen. We don’t need any more old bloodlines around here. The Faunus wouldn’t stand a chance at competition, and it needs to be equal opportunity around here.”

“I take it that there is no swaying you on this matter?” Winter asked quietly, the distaste firmly in her mouth as she regarded her sibling.

“Knowing I have no wish to do that, would you even truly want to?” Weiss asked in return. It didn’t matter that they were siblings, Winter held all the cards.

Winter could order anyone of her court to move to Menagerie and join the principality. She could order that Schnee blood carry the line, forcing Weiss to birth a child herself. She could demand it, and Weiss would be obligated to agree, or risk the Faunus losing their lands if something were ever to happen. Doing that was too akin to their father’s past tyranny for either of them. Weiss knew she could get away with a great deal for even implying such a thing.

“It is not wise to twist my arm, you know.” Winter complained softly.

“It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. It was you who taught me that.” Weiss shrugged.

“Something I feel I should begin to regret…”

“As if you ever truly would, dear sister.” Weiss said with a laugh. “Besides, if bloodline is your concern then you don’t need to worry. The Belladonna continuation lives on as well. We do have one blooded option when it comes to inheritance, it simply won’t be Schnee blood.”

At that, Winter scoffed while examining Blake. “I don’t see how that might be possible.”

“It is my mother who is with child, not me.” Blake said with a roll of her eyes as Winter continued to eye her as though she had grown a second head. “It was something of a surprise, let me tell you…”

“Goodness, does your brand of insanity ever end?” Winter said pinching her brow.

Weiss merely partook a mango from a passing cart, dropping a coin inside for the shop keeper. “I’m sure that’s an answer you’d rather not know. She is too early on to even show yet, but the signs are obvious. A new Belladonna shall be welcomed in spring. Believe it or not, even some of the humans here are rather excited. The news caused some of the most belligerent among them to break bread with the Faunus during the announcement."

"They were just too drunk to car who was a Faunus at that point, I think." Blake said with a shrug. "It's rare we declare a day of no work, copious food, and celebration. It was a good excuse for everyone to relax, and the humans were exhausted too. Of course they took it."

At that, Weiss smiled only slightly. "It was a rather magnificent celebration regardless.”

“I have never seen my father so drunk he could not stand.” Blake grinned. “The warriors needed to drag him to his room that night. It likely didn’t help the strongest of our men were just as unsteady on their feet.”

“You say that as if you weren’t equally in the bottle as him. We still have a crack in the wall, and four smashed doors to repair.” Weiss said dryly, her smile falling as she recalled all the repairs that needed doing. She had never thought a toast would end with such freely flowing spirits. “I thought Kali would be irate, but she merely found it all amusing as she sipped herbal teas with the ladies. If you think Yang gets bad, Blake was an absolute sight to behold…”

“Such is the Faunus way.” Blake shrugged.

“Indeed, such is the Faunus way.” Weiss parroted, though with far less enthusiasm.

“If you think that’s bad just wait until we’ve announced our mating.” Blake told her. “Every Faunus will be drunk in the streets that day. I’ve heard they’re taking bets on the timing.”

“I fear to ask.” Winter murmured.

“I fear to experience it…” Weiss agreed, her voice dropping in tone. “You are not the only one with a wife you cannot tame for the life of you. Trust me, I’ve tried…”

“Weiss, it is impossible on occasion. There are times you will never succeed. We didn’t marry into decorum, and so this is the price.” Winter whispered, looking at Blake with a soft scowl. “In these matters it is simply best to close your eyes and pretend it does not happen.”

“I have become quite skilled in that as of late.” Weiss told her. “Perhaps more so than you. A statement I’d never thought I’d say.”

“I can still hear you two, you know.” Blake said, sending a halfhearted glare her way.

"I couldn't be brought to care." Weiss bit back, though it lacked heat. "It's not as if you watch that tongue of yours anyway."

“The two of you will never come to good sense on this, will you?” Winter asked, resigned to listen to exactly what she knew she would hate to hear most. First it was being wedded to a Faunus woman, and now this? She couldn’t fathom the migraines sure to come. Her sister endeavored to make everything difficult by her nature.

It was then her thoughts drifted to Yang, own wife would take no small humor in it. Her royal dining hall would be filled to the brim with drunken warriors once more the moment word of any of this even reached Yang’s ears. That was only after likely making a similar scene in Menagerie just as soon and Yang arrived on the second ship filled with supplies and their own youngsters as well.

“Nothing we’ve done so far has been done sensibly, what makes you think we would change our ways now?” Although Weiss sounded annoyed when she said it, she was too busy inspecting the mango to really be concerned with anything else. “I will not guarantee you a principality filled with finery and opulence, but I promise you that it will be a success. I would like to think that would be enough…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it was, hope you enjoyed it. See you guys in the next story.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've recently started creating content with a long time friend of mine. Together we're known as "The Demented Ferrets". We have all sorts of content being prepped. We stream on Twitch, and now we have a YouTube channel.
> 
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> 
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